Community factors shaping HIV-related stigma among young people in three African countries

Abstract

Despite the high prevalence of HIV/AIDS that exists in many sub-Saharan African countries, very little is known of the prevalence and context of HIV-related stigma in these settings. This paper seeks to understand the community-level factors associated with HIV-related stigma among young people in three culturally contrasting African countries: Burkina Faso, Ghana and Zambia. Using nationally representative data on young people (15–24) from Burkina Faso, Ghana and Zambia, the analysis examines the economic, demographic and behavioral dimensions of community environments that shape HIV-related stigma among young people. The results demonstrate a clear influence of the community environment on shaping HIV-related stigma among young people. The elements of the community that were significantly associated with HIV-related stigma were the economic and behavioral aspects of the community environment, and there was no evidence of relationships between demographic patterns and HIV-related stigma. Behavioral change interventions must address HIV-related stigma in order to encourage behavior change, and must take into account the social, economic and cultural environments in which young people exist.

Keywords:

• stigma
• youth
• Africa
• community

Acknowledgements

The project described was supported by Grant Number R03HD052431-02 from the National Institute Of Child Health And Human Development and National Institutte of Mental Health. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institute Of Child Health And Human Development or the National Institutes of Health.